1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to load-supporting pads for heavy loads such as air conditioners and other heavy equipment.
2. Description of Related Art
Previously, air conditioners and other industrial temperature-control devices have been installed directly on the ground or the roof of a building. This arrangement has been unsatisfactory in numerous instances due to vibration and the potential for damage to the equipment.
To protect the equipment, it is well-known in the art to elevate the equipment above the ground or other support surface, often on a plurality of prefabricated elongated concrete blocks such as those used as parking curbs in parking lots. Although providing the desired elevation and insulation from the ground, these blocks typically do not provide uniform support for the equipment and may cause structural damage by allowing the equipment to sag where unsupported. Furthermore, such blocks because of their extreme weight can be very difficult to install and may be impractical for some roof top installations.
Another approach has been to place the load on a concrete pad. Such an arrangement does provide elevation and uniform support. Concrete pads are, however, like concrete blocks, extremely heavy, and expensive. In addition concrete pads are typically custom built and therefore are labor intensive and time-consuming.
To provide some standardization construction bricks have also been used for support pads. However, bricks are generally very brittle and can easily chip and shatter when stressed.
Another problem encountered when installing heavy equipment is that the underlying ground may subside, causing disruption of the horizontal alignment of the platform. It can be readily appreciated that restoring and resurfacing the ground underneath concrete pads can be quite difficult.